Playgrounds: Urban Theatrical Culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden Age Spain

223 Pages·2022·9.376 MB·English

by  David J. Amelang

PLAYGROUNDS
This book compares the theatrical cultures of early modern England and Spain and
explores the causes and consequences not just of the remarkable similarities but also
of the visible differences between them.
An exercise in multi-focal theatre history research, it deploys a wide range
of perspectives and evidence with which to recreate the theatrical landscapes of
these two countries and thus better understand how the specific conditions
of performance actively contributed to the development of each country’s dramatic
literature. This monograph presents an innovative comparative framework
within which to explore the numerous similarities, as well as the notable
differences, between early modern Europe’s two most prominent commercial
theatre cultures. By highlighting the nuances and intricacies that make each
theatrical culture unique while never losing sight of the fact that the two belong
to the same broader cultural ecosystem, its dual focus should appeal to scholars
and students of English and Spanish literature alike, as well as those interested in
the broader history of European theatre. Learning from what one ‘playground’
– that is, the environment and circumstances out of which a dramatic tradition
originates – reveals about the other will help solve not only the questions posed
above but also others that still await examination.
This investigation will be of great interest to students and scholars in theatre
history, comparative drama, early modern drama, and performance culture.
David J. Amelang is an assistant professor in English Literature at the
Department of English Studies of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He
currently serves on the board of directors of the Madrid Institute for Advanced
Study (MIAS) and of the Spanish and Portuguese Society for English Renaissance
Studies (SEDERI).
Studies in Performance and Early Modern Drama
Series Editor: Helen Ostovich
McMaster University, Canada
This series presents original research on theatre histories and performance his-
tories; the time period covered is from about 1500 to the early 18th century.
Studies in which women’s activities are a central feature of discussion are espe-
cially of interest; this may include women as financial or technical support (pa-
trons, musicians, dancers, seamstresses, wig-makers) or house support staff (e.g.,
gatherers), rather than performance per se. We also welcome critiques of early
modern drama that take into account the production values of the plays and rely
on period records of performance.
Shakespeare’s Hobby-Horse and Early Modern Popular Culture
Natália Pikli
From Playtext to Performance on the Early Modern Stage
How Did They Do It?
Leslie Thomson
Imitation and Contamination of the Classics in the Comedies of
Ben Jonson
Guides Not Commanders
Tom Harrison
Playgrounds
Urban Theatrical Culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden Age Spain
David J. Amelang
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/
Studies-in-Performance-and-Early-Modern-Drama/book-series/SPEMD
PLAYGROUNDS
Urban Theatrical Culture in
Shakespeare’s England and
Golden Age Spain
David J. Amelang
Cover image: Detail of Wenceslaus Hollar, A View from St. Mary’s,
Southwark, Looking Towards Westminster (ca. 1638). The Yale Center for
British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 David J. Amelang
The right of David J. Amelang to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent
to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Amelang, David J, author.
Title: Playgrounds : Urban theatrical culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden
Age Spain / by David J. Amelang.
Description: New York : Routledge, 2023. | Series: Routledge advances in
theatre and performance studies | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022034404 (print) | LCCN 2022034405 (ebook) | ISBN
9781032399447 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032399461 (paperback) | ISBN
9781003352112 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: English drama--Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600--
History and criticism. | English drama--17th century--History and criticism. |
Spanish drama--Classical period, 1500-1700--History and criticism. |
Theater--England--History--16th century. | Theater--England--History--
17th century. | Theater--Spain--History--16th century. | Theater--Spain--
History--17th century. | English drama--Spanish influences. | Spanish drama--
English influences.
Classification: LCC PR651 .A625 2023 (print) | LCC PR651 (ebook) | DDC
822.309--dc23/eng/20221017
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022034404
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022034405
ISBN: 978-1-032-39944-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-39946-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-35211-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003352112
Typeset in Bembo
by MPS Limited, Dehradun
To my parents, Jim and Elena

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
1 Cities 8
England and Spain’s Theatrical Capitals 9
Early Urban Theatre Districts 16
The Place of Theatres in English and Spanish Society 25
Playhouse Locations after Consolidation 29
2 Playhouses 43
Why did English and Spanish Theatres Look so much Alike?
A Few Genealogical Conjectures 44
The Organic Corral vs the Immutable Theatre 50
Seeing and Hearing (and Being Seen) in England and Spain’s
Playhouses 55
Beyond the Bare Stage: Machines, Candles, Multi-Platforms 60
INTERLUDE 1
Why Did Madrid Not Have a Blackfriars? 73
viii Contents
3 Players 78
Professional Playmakers in Early Modern Society 79
Company Models, Structure and Organisation 83
Touring Practices 88
Who Played the Female Roles? Women and Children on the
Commercial Stage 92
4 Dramatists 102
The Making of a Professional Playwright 103
Verse, Prose and Polymetry 106
Dramatic Genre(s) 110
Quantities of Writing and Notions of Artistry 115
INTERLUDE 2
Professional Actresses: To Have and Have Not
(and How It Made a Difference) 127
5 Playbooks 143
Playbook vs Play: Printing Theatre in England and Spain 144
Publication Strategies, Licensing and Censorship 149
The Playbook in the Literary Marketplace 152
Other Documents of Performance 157
Conclusion 167
Works Cited 175
Index 206
ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures
1.1 Map of the British Isles highlighting the urban centres with
documented venues built or adapted to serve solely or primarily
as performance spaces 13
1.2 Map of the Iberian Peninsula highlighting the urban centres
with documented corrales de comedias 15
1.3 Map of sixteenth-century London and its commercial playhouses
(circles) as well as the inns frequently used for performances
(squares) 17
1.4 List of known corrales de comedias built in Spain during the
sixteenth century 21
1.5 Map of sixteenth-century Seville and its corrales de comedias 22
1.6 Map of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Madrid and its
corrales de comedias 24
1.7 Map of seventeenth-century London and its commercial
playhouses 30
1.8 Map of seventeenth-century Seville and its corrales de comedias 33
2.1 The stage of the reconstructed Almagro Copyright: Corral
de Comedias de Copyright: Concejalía de Cultura y Turismo.
Ayuntamiento de Almagro 45
2.2 Antonio Lafréry’s engraving of the Roman colosseum, with
the caption “Theatrvm Sive Colisevm Romanvm” in his Speculum
Romanae Magnificentiae. Copyright: The Trustees of the
British Museum 49